The construction of Vogtle project in Georgia, US, the first newly licensed nuclear-power plant in the country, has come across problems and might be delayed years behind schedule.
Bill Jacobs of GDS Associates, who is monitoring the project, has advised the Georgia Public Service Commission that due to unsatisfactory performance by the project team, construction of the plant was falling behind schedule.
Jacobs has advised the regulators to be prepared for a potential delay of two to four years. Initially, the first reactor of the two-reactor plant was scheduled to begin operation in 2016, but now it is expected to go online in 2017.
Being constructed at a cost of $14bn, the new plant is being considered to mark the revival of the US nuclear industry, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The nuclear facility will be constructed by a consortium that includes Shaw Group and Westinghouse Electric Company.
The plant will include a new type of nuclear reactor and employ a modular construction method to reduce construction time and cost.
Located in Burke County, close to Waynesboro, Georgia, the Vogtle project is a two unit nuclear power plant.
The plant’s each unit includes a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor, a General Electric turbine and electric generator. Once fully operational, each unit can produce about 1,200 MW of electricity, for a combined capacity of 2,400 MW.
The plant will be operated by Southern Company on behalf of several utilities.
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